Hip device defect may cost €60m

THE health consequences of fitting Irish patients with defective hip implants are more serious than first realised and the state could end up picking up the tab, a medical negligence lawyer warned yesterday.

“This is a major financial exposure for the state going forward because the ongoing healthcare costs over a 20-year period could reach €60 million,” Malcomson Law’s Raymond Bradley said, commenting on the recent DePuy orthopaedic hip implant recall.

Around 93,000 people were fitted with the implants, including 3,500 Irish patients. Last August, DePuy began a voluntary worldwide recall process for two specific hip implants.

The firm is acting for over 100 patients considering taking action against the US manufacturers, a subsidiary of Johnston & Johnston.

The HSE said that all patients involved were being recalled for assessment of their implant and possible treatment. It said DePuy had committed to cover reasonable and customary costs of testing and treatment, including revision surgery, if necessary. All of the hospitals involved had begun contacting patients and clinics had commenced.